Corbett Signs Shale Well Impact Fee into Law

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
14 February 2012

The Marcellus Shale impact fee and regulatory measure that passed the General Assembly last week is now law, after Republican Gov. Tom Corbett signed it on Monday evening.

He described the measure, which will charge drillers a per-well fee, update state environmental regulations and subject local zoning ordinances to state-crafted standards, a historic overhaul of state law.

"Thanks to this legislation, this natural resource will safely and fairly fuel our generating plants and heat our homes while creating jobs and powering our state's economic engine for generations to come," Mr. Corbett said in a statement.

Most of the measure goes into effect in 60 days. However, the portion requiring each county within the drilling region to decide whether to impose the impact fee is effective immediately.

Those counties have 60 days to adopt an ordinance imposing the fee on shale wells. If commissioners decide against doing so, they could be overruled if half of the municipalities or towns representing half of the county's population approve their own resolutions in favor of a fee.

Revenues from that fee will be divided between local governments and a variety of state-based environmental, infrastructure and economic-development programs.